McAfee > Theat Center > Virus Detail Page

Overview

This is a virus detection. Viruses are programs that self-replicate recursively, meaning that infected systems spread the virus to other systems, which then propagate the virus further. While many viruses contain a destructive payload, it's quite common for viruses to do nothing more than spread from one system to another.

Aliases

• ARCV-773

Characteristics

Slime is a memory resident, stealth, file infecting virus. It infects .COM files, including COMMAND.COM.

Upon infection, the Slime virus becomes memory resident at the top of system memory but below the 640K DOS boundary. It hooks interrupt 21. Interrupt 12's return is not moved.

Once the Slime virus is memory resident, it infects .COM files, including as they are executed or opened.

Additional Comments:
The Slime, or ARCV-773, virus was submitted in March, 1993, and is from England. Slime is a memory resident semi-stealth virus which infects .COM programs, including COMMAND.COM. When the first Slime infected program is executed, the Slime virus will install itself memory resident at the top of system memory but below the 640K DOS boundary, hooking interrupt 21. Total system and available free memory, as indicated by the DOS CHKDSK program, will have decreased by 2,048 bytes. Interrupt 12's return will not have been moved. Once the Slime virus is memory resident, it will infect .COM programs, including COMMAND.COM, when they are executed or opened for any reason. Infected programs will have a file length increase of 773 bytes, though the file length increase will be hidden when the virus is in memory. The Slime virus will be located at the end of infected programs. The file's date and time in the DOS disk directory listing will not be altered. The following text strings are encrypted within the Slime viral code: "COM" "[Slime] By Apache Warrior, ARCV Pres." "Sliming around your PC, I go make a sticky MESS over your Hard Drive!" Additionally, the following text string can be located at the end of all infected files: "4Qu2u" When the Slime virus is memory resident, the DOS CHKDSK program will detect file allocation errors on all infected files.

Symptoms

The following text strings are encrypted within the Slime viral code:

"COM"
"[Slime] By Apache Warrior, ARCV Pres."
"Sliming around your PC, I go make a sticky MESS over your Hard Drive!"

Additionally, the following text string can be located at the end of all infected files:

"4Qu2u"

When the Slime virus is memory resident, the DOS CHKDSK program detects file allocation errors on all infected files.

Total system and available free memory decreases by 2,048 bytes. Infected files have a file length increase of 773 bytes. The file length increase is hidden when the virus is in memory (Stealth technique). The Slime virus is located at the end of infected files. The file's date and time in the DOS disk directory listing are not altered.

Method of Infection

The only way to infect a computer with a file infecting virus is to execute an infected file on the computer. The infected file may come from a multitude of sources including: floppy diskettes, downloads through an online service, network, etc. Once the infected file is executed, the virus may activate.

Removal

All Users :
Script,Batch,Macro and non memory-resident:
Use current engine and DAT files for detection and removal.

PE,Trojan,Internet Worm and memory resident :
Use specified engine and DAT files for detection. To remove, boot to MS-DOS mode or use a boot diskette and use the command line scanner:

Additional Windows ME/XP removal considerations

Users should not trust file icons, particularly when receiving files from others via P2P clients, IRC, email or other mediums where users can share files.

AVERT Recommended Updates :

* Office2000 Updates

* Malformed Word Document Could Enable Macro to Run Automatically (Information/Patch )

* scriptlet.typelib/Eyedog vulnerability patch

* Outlook as an email attachment security update

* Exchange 5.5 post SP3 Information Store Patch 5.5.2652.42 - this patch corrects detection issues with GroupShield

For a list of attachments blocked by the Outlook patch and a general FAQ, visit this link .
Additionally, Network Administrators can configure this update using an available tool - visit this link for more information .

It is very common for macro viruses to disable options within Office applications for example in Word, the macro protection warning commonly is disabled. After cleaning macro viruses, ensure that your previously set options are again enabled.

Variants

Variants

N/A

All Information

Overview -

This is a virus detection. Viruses are programs that self-replicate recursively, meaning that infected systems spread the virus to other systems, which then propagate the virus further. While many viruses contain a destructive payload, it's quite common for viruses to do nothing more than spread from one system to another.

Aliases

• ARCV-773

Characteristics

Characteristics -

Slime is a memory resident, stealth, file infecting virus. It infects .COM files, including COMMAND.COM.

Upon infection, the Slime virus becomes memory resident at the top of system memory but below the 640K DOS boundary. It hooks interrupt 21. Interrupt 12's return is not moved.

Once the Slime virus is memory resident, it infects .COM files, including as they are executed or opened.

Additional Comments:
The Slime, or ARCV-773, virus was submitted in March, 1993, and is from England. Slime is a memory resident semi-stealth virus which infects .COM programs, including COMMAND.COM. When the first Slime infected program is executed, the Slime virus will install itself memory resident at the top of system memory but below the 640K DOS boundary, hooking interrupt 21. Total system and available free memory, as indicated by the DOS CHKDSK program, will have decreased by 2,048 bytes. Interrupt 12's return will not have been moved. Once the Slime virus is memory resident, it will infect .COM programs, including COMMAND.COM, when they are executed or opened for any reason. Infected programs will have a file length increase of 773 bytes, though the file length increase will be hidden when the virus is in memory. The Slime virus will be located at the end of infected programs. The file's date and time in the DOS disk directory listing will not be altered. The following text strings are encrypted within the Slime viral code: "COM" "[Slime] By Apache Warrior, ARCV Pres." "Sliming around your PC, I go make a sticky MESS over your Hard Drive!" Additionally, the following text string can be located at the end of all infected files: "4Qu2u" When the Slime virus is memory resident, the DOS CHKDSK program will detect file allocation errors on all infected files.

Symptoms

Symptoms -

The following text strings are encrypted within the Slime viral code:

"COM"
"[Slime] By Apache Warrior, ARCV Pres."
"Sliming around your PC, I go make a sticky MESS over your Hard Drive!"

Additionally, the following text string can be located at the end of all infected files:

"4Qu2u"

When the Slime virus is memory resident, the DOS CHKDSK program detects file allocation errors on all infected files.

Total system and available free memory decreases by 2,048 bytes. Infected files have a file length increase of 773 bytes. The file length increase is hidden when the virus is in memory (Stealth technique). The Slime virus is located at the end of infected files. The file's date and time in the DOS disk directory listing are not altered.

Method of Infection

Method of Infection -

The only way to infect a computer with a file infecting virus is to execute an infected file on the computer. The infected file may come from a multitude of sources including: floppy diskettes, downloads through an online service, network, etc. Once the infected file is executed, the virus may activate.

Removal -

Removal -

All Users :
Script,Batch,Macro and non memory-resident:
Use current engine and DAT files for detection and removal.

PE,Trojan,Internet Worm and memory resident :
Use specified engine and DAT files for detection. To remove, boot to MS-DOS mode or use a boot diskette and use the command line scanner:

Additional Windows ME/XP removal considerations

Users should not trust file icons, particularly when receiving files from others via P2P clients, IRC, email or other mediums where users can share files.

AVERT Recommended Updates :

* Office2000 Updates

* Malformed Word Document Could Enable Macro to Run Automatically (Information/Patch )

* scriptlet.typelib/Eyedog vulnerability patch

* Outlook as an email attachment security update

* Exchange 5.5 post SP3 Information Store Patch 5.5.2652.42 - this patch corrects detection issues with GroupShield

For a list of attachments blocked by the Outlook patch and a general FAQ, visit this link .
Additionally, Network Administrators can configure this update using an available tool - visit this link for more information .

It is very common for macro viruses to disable options within Office applications for example in Word, the macro protection warning commonly is disabled. After cleaning macro viruses, ensure that your previously set options are again enabled.

Variants

Variants -

N/A